African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME)

描述（申请人提供）：非洲微生物组和基因组研究合作中心（ACCME）是一个多国、多机构的合作研究，涉及马里兰州大学人类病毒学和基因组科学研究所;巴尔的摩马里兰州大学医学院流行病学和公共卫生系;阿布贾大学教学医院，尼日利亚阿布贾和马里国家疾病防治中心。该中心的目标是合作和实施高影响力的研究计划，以表征人类微生物组及其在健康和疾病中的作用。具体而言，ACCME链接并利用合作机构现有的资助研究和计划活动，研究阴道微生物组，宿主遗传因素和人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）分子变体之间的相互作用，以确定宫颈癌因果途径中病毒持续存在的相关性，这是非洲大陆可预防死亡的主要原因。研究小组最近的研究采用细菌培养独立的“克隆和测序方法”，采用16 S核糖体RNA（rRNA）基因技术，记录了阴道微生物组的复杂性，并将一致的微生物分组归类为“社区状态类型”，这为了解阴道微生物组在宫颈癌发病机制中的作用打开了一个新的窗口。除了促进有关阴道微生物组，HPV持久性和宫颈癌的知识，ACCME还通过培训博士后学生成为新一代非洲科学领导人，同时授权数百名非洲科学家进行微生物组和基因组学研究来发展能力。 相关性：非洲微生物组和基因组学研究合作中心利用马里兰州大学（巴尔的摩）的先进研究方法和技术来建设能力，开展培训和研究阴道微生物组在人类乳头瘤病毒持续存在和宫颈癌发生中的作用，作为影响妇女发病率和死亡率的高影响力公共卫生挑战的典范。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) is a multi-country, multi-institutional collaborative research involving the Institutes of Human Virology and Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria and the Centre National d'Appui a la lutte centre la Maladie (CNAM) Mali. The objectives of the Center are to collaborate and implement high impact research programs characterizing the human microbiome and its role in health and disease. Specifically, ACCME links and leverages existing funded research and program activities at the collaborating institutions to study the interaction between vaginal microbiome, host genetic factors and molecular variants of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to determine correlates of viral persistence in the causal pathway of cervical cancer, a major cause of preventable mortality on the African continent. Recent studies by the investigative team, employing bacterial culture-independent, "clone and sequence approach" employing 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene technologies have documented the complexity of vaginal microbiome and classified consistent microbial groupings termed "community state types" that open a new window to understanding the role that the vaginal microbiome plays in cervical cancer pathogenesis. In addition to contributing to knowledge about vaginal microbiome, HPV persistence and cervical carcinogenesis, ACCME also develops capacity by training postdoctoral students to become the new generation of African scientific leaders while empowering hundreds of African scientists to conduct research in microbiome and genomics. RELEVANCE: The African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) leverages advanced research methods and technologies of the University of Maryland, Baltimore to build capacity, conduct training and research the role of vaginal microbiome in Human Papilloma Virus persistence and cervical carcinogenesis as a paradigmatic example of a high impact public health challenge that affects women's morbidity and mortality.